What do we still need? Post Summer 2018 edition

I’d like to see Pereira given more opportunities in midfield. I’m also fairly happy with Matic in there for now.

As for a striker, I don’t really mind. We’ve currently got Martial, Lukaku, Sanchez, Rashford, Mata and Lingard on the books. There’s a nice balance in what each of them offer. What we could do with is another attacker (preferably left-footed) that can play down the right, beat players and whip in a cross.

As long as the next manager is playing attacking football then I don’t mind who plays centrally. This isn’t some utopian team sheet. I suspect we can make it work with Sanchez or Rashford. Lukaku is no mug either, in spite of the current narrative. I’m interested to see Mason Greenwood, too. If he’s as good as some say then the club could be saving millions.

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Even if Pereira gets more game time, which I doubt will happen, I don't see him in that deeper role controlling the play, we've gone from having Scholes and Carrick to nothing in that regard, Matic as a squad player is fine, but not as a starter come next season IMO.

I see the Striker as still having value in terms of being a fulcrum for the two wider attackers, in that regard Rashford has the best all round game but is not looking like a natural goal scorer and Sanchez legs look gone to me, I know the current narrative is he'll be golden now evil Mourinho is gone and that might be the case, but a lot of what he's shown since coming to United has been shades of latter day Rooney, a shell of a player. As for Lukaku, I think he's a poor footballer but has the best goal scoring record of the options we have, but is at his best in a team that will be attacked so he has space to run into, if we intend to build on the style of play we've shown in the last two games then he'll never fit as his touch and passing are weak parts of his game and we need to build on what we are doing now as that's how we'll beat the teams that just cram up against us, intricacy and speed of touch is going to be key, so I'd say the much maligned Lingard has more value to our attack in general.

I see the six options you list and I think it's quantity but lacking in a real killer quality as far as a striker that can bag a lot of goals and contribute to the attack, maybe if Ole lets Rashford lead the line for the rest of the season that could change, but if it's still the same come the summer I think we should be looking at a striker as well for this team, especially since the RW options mentioned in most posts are going to be very hard to get, especially without CL football, and I'm talking Sancho and Dembele here, going for some of the others like Bailey, Costa, Lozano etc is just going down a tier IMO and I'd rather save the money until we are in a position to command the best.

Most of the players are really good squad players but if we are going to really going to challenge, we need world class players in the key positions. Probably need at least one CB, a RB and maybe an upgrade on Matic.

we've no one world class in attack - we've Martial closest to having that potential but a world class right sided attacker would be ideal. There's also room for a world class number 9 or 10 as Lukaku, Lingard, Mata and Rashford clearly aren't elite attackers.

priorities to extend contracts of De Gea and Herrera

we'd need to sell a few in the next few weeks as there are several with 6 months left - Darmian and Jones could raise 15/20m combined and that would largely pay for Toby who is a very good defender and a good passer

Maybe better looking at this in the long term though - Bailly, Lindelof and Smalling are staying - if there's room for 1 more then maybe someone younger than Alderwiereld

watching Juve this season it was so apparent that Sandro and Cancello were a class above our fullbacks so we need to upgrade those areas

in the summer I'd say goodbye to Rojo, Valencia and potentially one of Fellaini, Matic or Lukaku depending on who is coming in

We need to get Herrera, De Gea and Martial on new deals ASAP in my view.

The forward signing is the trickiest one. Martial/Rashford/Lingard/Lukaku/Sanchez/Mata.

The 3 bolded players wont be going anywhere (hopefully in Martial's case) but I think one of the other 3 will have to be moved on to make room for another attacker, if we try to recoup as much as possible on Lukaku I'd go for Jovic, but if he stays then it'll be a wide player we go for to play off the RW, my worry is the best 3 options are going to be nigh on impossible to get, after those 3 the drop off is stark IMO.

I like the look of Dalot and I like Herrera but feel like we need some improvements in these areas. Lingard needs replacing as well so he can take his rightful place as a squad player.

Ndombele CM
Dembele RW

CDM and CB are a mystery to me, we certainly need people in there but I can’t decide who and DeLigt/ DeJong might not be ready yet or fit us currently or give us what we need even though I’d really like them.

The following below is my dream scenario but before anyone starts jumping on my back, I do know it is not going to be that straightforward!

Get Rid:

Darmian
Rojo
Bailly
Valencia
Young
Fellaini

Bring in:

Promote Tuanzebe
De Ligt
Sancho
N’Dombele
Neves
Telles

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I’d probably have Jones out before Bailly, even after today’s silliness. Disappointed to see Darmian on bench today - would much prefer to see O’Connor on there. Think we’ve got a real chance to promote a crop of youngsters - Tuanzebe, Laird, O’Connor, Garner, Gomes, Greenwood and Chong - to the first team squad over the next season or two enabling us to spend big on focused signings - De Jong, Sancho etc - rather than squad fillers.

Center back and right wing are the two most obvious. I'm hoping we can get two center backs. After that it depends who we let go - we probably need another midfielder to begin replacing Matic and we could really use two fullbacks to compete with Dalot and Shaw / provide backup.

Out should be Rojo, Jones, Fellaini, Valencia, Darmian

In should be Alderweireld and another center back, preferably a younger option ie De Ligt/Milenkovic etc. Literally any right winger will do since we don't have any currently, I'll let the club figure that out. I wouldn't mind bringing in Wan-Bissaka to start at rb and let Dalot and Young cover for the fullback positions.

- Establish a small group of 2-3 people to take footballing decisions for the team. I would not just sign a DoF, since he can be a massive failure. He has to be surrounded by people who understand United, e.g. a couple of ex-players like Rio. Woodward should finally step aside.

- This group should assess our current squad, our academy prospects and the footballing philosophy that we need to follow irrelevant to who the manager is or will be. Based on these, they have to try to find and convince their ideal candidate. And this has to start as soon as possible, e.g. if this is Pochettino. They have to be in constant communication with the manager to see that he adheres to the the principles that they have agreed upon regarding the footballing philosophy of the team.

If they don't find this candidate or they cannot sign him it is better to stick with Ole, or someone like Ole, providing that the principles that have being set will be followed. No more risks like Allegri, Ancelotti etc. trying to achieve short-term success, just for the sake of hiring a manager for his name or fame. Find the one who fits.

Transfers:

- A leader at the back, we should not care about the cost. Better to pay more, if this one is going to improve all the other around him (like VVD). Koulibaly
- A holding midfielder, who will be here for many years to come. De Jong
- Finally, an exciting winger like Sancho.
- Another source of creativity, experience, scoring and set pieces, Eriksen

- A leader at the back, we should not care about the cost. Better to pay more, if this one is going to improve all the other around him (like VVD). Koulibaly
- A holding midfielder, who will be here for many years to come. De Jong
- Finally, an exciting winger like Sancho.
- Another source of creativity, experience, scoring and set pieces, Eriksen

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Would be at least a few 100 million, up to 250 million or more. Never going to happen.

They do not have to be signed in one window. For example, I think we should and could chase Koulibaly now, supposedly we saved a lot from last summer.

We have to consider also the income from sales.

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You are right, but I think we'll first have to focus on certain people (Martial, De Gea and others) signing new contracts, offloading others (Valencia, Darmian, Rojo) before we'll buy other players. We don't have a DoF yet and have no idea who our next manager is going to be. I'd end the season with the players we have now, and let the new DoF and manager chose our signings.

You are right, but I think we'll first have to focus on certain people (Martial, De Gea and others) signing new contracts, offloading others (Valencia, Darmian, Rojo) before we'll buy other players. We don't have a DoF yet and have no idea who our next manager is going to be. I'd end the season with the players we have now, and let the new DoF and manager chose our signings.

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Completely agree.

But if the opportunity is there to sign a world-class player that would fix our issues, we have to take it. I don't think there is manager in the world that would not like Koulibaly if he managed United. The less problems he has to fix in the summer the better for him and the team.

Center back and right wing are the two most obvious. I'm hoping we can get two center backs. After that it depends who we let go - we probably need another midfielder to begin replacing Matic and we could really use two fullbacks to compete with Dalot and Shaw / provide backup.

Out should be Rojo, Jones, Fellaini, Valencia, Darmian

In should be Alderweireld and another center back, preferably a younger option ie De Ligt/Milenkovic etc. Literally any right winger will do since we don't have any currently, I'll let the club figure that out. I wouldn't mind bringing in Wan-Bissaka to start at rb and let Dalot and Young cover for the fullback positions.

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Agreed. Sancho and Koulibaly are the players who we should at least target. An experienced world class CB and a super talented RW. Might even be enough to challenge for the title already next season. Replacement for Matic is also pressing.

Transfer wise, a CB & RW(right sided forward in a 433), are two obvious, weaknesses in the current squad. With today’s transfer fees, that could be the best part of £150m. But for me, those two positions, filled with quality, would make us top 4, but still perhaps a little way off, genuine title challengers.

Whoever the next manager, he’ll need a healthy budget. Some outgoings, hopefully will generate, more funds, for transfers.

So aside from those two positions, another midfielder (DLP) and RB, would be next on my list, followed by a LB and CF. So 6 in, but realistically I’d expect 2/3 ins, but they have to be, first XI top tier players, no more squad player additions, for now.

I'm going to suggest something most wont agree with, keep the powder dry in attack for one more season IF Sanchez can find some form in the next 5 months, then if Sancho is still tearing it up next season plow the budget into him in 2020.

This summer go all out for the two Ajax boys and Koulibaly, and see if PSG will do a reasonable deal for Meunier who is in the last year of his deal. If de Jong goes to Barca as expected then Neves, Maier and Aouar are also good options.

The difficulty is that the astonishingly sudden turnaround in the last three games possibly suggests that we can't truly trust the opinions we have formed of any of our players over the last couple of years.

That said, I really do think we need a leader at the back. I think a single player in that mould could be really transformative.

The difficulty is that the astonishingly sudden turnaround in the last three games possibly suggests that we can't truly trust the opinions we have formed of any of our players over the last couple of years.

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For some of the players this would be true. And for others not so much. Some players are better suited to playing defensive, off the ball football. Others are better suited to playing attacking, fast paced, possession based football.

I'm going to suggest something most wont agree with, keep the powder dry in attack for one more season IF Sanchez can find some form in the next 5 months, then if Sancho is still tearing it up next season plow the budget into him in 2020.

This summer go all out for the two Ajax boys and Koulibaly, and see if PSG will do a reasonable deal for Meunier who is in the last year of his deal. If de Jong goes to Barca as expected then Neves, Maier and Aouar are also good options.

How much did we spend in the summer that LvG took over? Chances are we'll be in the EL next season and fighting to get back into top 4 so our Adidas deal isn't jeopardized, that's when the Glazers will throw in a little extra. If we aren't buying an attacker then 2 CB's and a CM shouldn't be impossible, I put Meunier but I know Young will be starting RB next season.

Then it’s time to shift some of the dead wood that are overpaid, which has made them difficult to move on, Darmien, Rojo, Valencia, Fellaini and Jones would be my choices.

Leaving us needing a rightback I’d enquire about Meunièr at PSG
A centre back if we can’t prise Skrinijar away from Inter or De Ligt from Ajax, I’d make do with Alderwield
For an alternative base of the midfield option ala Carrick id enquire about Leandro Paredes from Zenit although PSG are sniffing.
Leaving Sanchez to make the Right wing spot his own

He barely gets mentioned on here if we’re honest, Wan Bissaka is probably more talked about.

We need a starting quality RB, preferrably in their prime. Meunier just happens to be that and is on an outgoing contract to boot. We’d be foolish not to look into it. It’s not like there’s an abundance of options out there but I’d welcome suggestions.